Ecuador Finca Cruz Loma Sidra

Roast Date: 06/05/2025

A short distance north of Quito, in the village of San José de Minas, a small town in the northwestern region of Pichincha, Galo Fernando Morales Flores, his wife Maria Alexandra Rivera, and other members of his extended family grow coffee on their 350-hectare estate. In addition to coffee, the family grows soursop, corn, beans, and lots of citrus fruits on their farm, Finca Cruz Loma, which is described as a paradise with a mild tropical climate where a huge variety of flora thrives. Finca Cruz Loma has been in Galo's family for more than 80 years, passed down from generation to generation, and is now managed by Galo, his four brothers, and their families. Galo started working on the farm with his mother 20 years ago, later gaining professional experience in the coffee industry before returning to farming full-time. Today, coffee farming is a deeply rooted family practice involving his wife and daughters, combining tradition with learned skills to sustain their livelihood. The farm is located in the northern part of Ecuador's Pichincha region and benefits from an ideal equatorial climate that allows for almost year-round coffee production, with flowering and ripe cherries often appearing on the same branch. The family's dedication has earned them national recognition, including winning a regional quality competition in Pichincha and third place in Ecuador's prestigious Taza Dorada competition in 2020.

The ripe coffee cherries were first cleaned and then washed. After fermentation, the beans are partially stripped of their pulp, but a sticky layer is left on them, which contributes to the distinctive sweetness, creamy texture, and unique fruity tones of the final coffee during drying on raised beds for 15 days in the shade (until reaching 11% moisture content).